PORTLAND, Ore. -- A California priest and his traveling companion, who disappeared more than three weeks ago, have been found dead in a remote Oregon logging area.

The missing pair's vehicle (inset) was found down a steep bank west of Porland - OSP photos

Authorities said David Schwartz, 52, and Cheryl Gibbs, 61, likely died when Schwartz's 2005 Toyota Corolla ran off the road and down a steep embankment about 60 miles west of Portland, The Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

A spokesman for the Tillamook County Sheriff's Department said the two apparently died instantly in the wreck.

"There were no skid marks and no indication of their being intoxicated," Deputy Don Taylor said. "Our best guess is that they probably fell asleep."

Schwartz, a Jesuit priest, was director of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange County.